The American Coal Ash Association (ACAA) is an umbrella lobbying group for all coal ash interests that includes major coal burners Duke Energy, Southern Company and American Electric Power as well as dozens of other companies (see below). The group argues that the so-called "beneficial-use industry" would be eliminated if a "hazardous" designation was given for coal ash waste.

ACAA set up by front group called Citizens for Recycling First, which argues that using toxic coal ash as fill in other products is safe, despite evidence to the contrary.[1] ACAA helped set up the Coal Combustion Products Partnership (C2P2), a cooperative government-industry effort to "help promote the beneficial use of Coal Combustion Products (CCPs) and the environmental benefits that result from their use."[2]